Nur Farrah’s nian gao a big hit during CNY

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Kuih bakul maker Nur Farrah Diba Azhar has her Chinese mother to thank for all the traditional recipes of halal Chinese New Year goodies she is churning out now.

The 34-year-old said that before starting her business six years ago, she had received help from her maternal grandfather and a Chinese neighbour for their kuih bakul, or nian gao, recipes.

“The nian gao is a must for certain ceremonies during the festival. I sell kuih bakul all year round, but during Chinese New Year, demand shoots up to between 3,500 and 4,500 pieces.

“I sell them online and also at my shop at Bandar Perda,” she told Bernama in an interview.

She even delivers her kuih bakul by post and the treats can last for a week without having to be refrigerated. Making kuih bakul is a delicate process and diligence is needed for the treats to come out right, she said.

To make good kuih bakul, Nur Farrah uses natural ingredients, especially the banana leaves that are used to wrap the cake and enhance its aroma.

“The process begins with the grinding of the rice for the mixture. What’s special with my recipe is that I make the peanut oil myself, which makes the kuih bakul taste more creamy and delicious, and shiny.

“The mixture is then steamed for 16 hours. Each day, I can only make 200 kuih bakul,” she said, adding that the process could take up to seven days to ensure that the cake is really dry.